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Escape from New York

Escape from New York
Jorge Solis

Solid

Imagine the island of Manhattan becoming a entire maximum security prison.  The bridges are mined and guards surround the walls. There is no chance of escape. You're stuck inside with the worst and most brutal prisoners alive. Once you go in, you don't ever come out. This is John Carpenter's Escape from New York, the first part of a trilogy.

John Carpenter and Nick Castle have written a imaginative what if story. The movie starts out slow because of the surprisingly graceful and pretty jetplane ride.  The movie and music picks up when Isaac Hayes enters. It finally becomes a hyper-fast, nonstop, action-packed thrill ride.  

New York is Hell on earth. You've got the Crazies, the ultimate violent street gang. Your only entertainment is a Broadway show at a rundown theater.  You don't even want to go to Madison Square Garden.  You look at someone the wrong way and they will kill you.    

Kurt Russell, in his second collaboration with John Carpenter, is the infamous one-eyed Snake Plissken.  Snake Plissken is the war hero turned outlaw. I will compare Snake Plissken to comic book characters and an Akira Kurosawa movie. Snake Plissken is neither good nor evil like Adam Warlock of the Infinity Watch. Like the Punisher, Snake Plissken chooses to have no emotions. Akira Kurosawa co-wrote and directed the movie, Yojimbo, where you can never tell whether the main character is good or bad. Snake Plissken is thrown into the situation to save the President. He is forced to go into New York because he has an explosive charge implanted inside him that will kill him.

If there was no Rudy Guliani, New York would have been run by The Duke. Isaac Hayes imitates John Wayne which is why he is the coolest and a worthy adversary.  You don't need a back story or a motive for this guy.  He has chandeliers on the hood of his car and a disco ball inside. You can't wait for Kurt Russell and Isaac Hayes to fight.  

Kurt Russell first worked with John Carpenter in the Elvis television movie. The studio didn't want Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken because they thought of him as a Disney kid. John Carpenter fought to get Kurt Russell this role. Can you imagine anyone else besides Kurt Russell playing Snake Plissken?  This is a classic sci-fi movie filled with experimental music and hard-hitting action sequences.

DVD
Escape from New York

Because of the quality and sound of DVD, Escape From New York is a must have. See if you can catch the actors who play Romero and Cronenberg. Listen to the song at the Broadway show. You will laugh at the lyrics. You will definitely want to see the car chase at the mine-filled bridge again and again.

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Jorge Solis  
Resident John Carpenter Expert